Senators ask for justification of the assertion in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) joined Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin requesting justification for a recent assertion from a top Department of Defense (DoD) official that the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization would affect the “readiness of the Force.”
Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. released a memo on June 28th in which he said that the ruling will have significant implications for the readiness of the Force.
“This decision will have significant implications for our Service members, dependents, other beneficiaries of DoD health care services, and civilian employees, as well as the readiness of the Force,” the memo stated.
In the letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the Senators requested a description of the “significant implications” on readiness referenced in the memorandum and cite the data used to support Secretary Cisneros’ conclusion.
The Senators state that there is no evidence presented in this memo to support the conclusion that the Dobbs decision will have “significant implications” for the “readiness of the Force.”
The group of lawmakers ask Secretary Austin to provide written responses to the following questions:
- What are the “significant implications” that the Dobbs decision will have for the “readiness of the Force”? Please be specific.
- What data was used to support the conclusion that the Dobbs decision would have “significant implications” for the “readiness of the Force”? Please provide a copy of all data used to support this conclusion in your response.
The Senators also sought additional information about the Pentagon’s ongoing review of current policies and procedures related to abortion described in the June 28 memorandum:
- What policies and procedures are currently under review by the Department of Defense following the Dobbs decision? Please be specific.
- Do you commit to consulting with the House and Senate Armed Services Committees before issuing any “additional guidance” referenced in the June 28 memo?
You can read the full letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin below.
Wicker, Colleagues Challenge Pentagon Over Abortion Claim by yallpolitics on Scribd
Anne Summerhays
